Honor Flight Northeast Indiana (HFNEI) will make its 18th flight to Washington D.C. on Wednesday, October 7th.

This is the first HFNEI flight comprised primarily of Korean War Veterans. Board President Bob Myer shares that on this flight, 62 of the Veterans served in the Korean War and 24 are from WWII. Two of the Veterans are women. 1,220 WWII Veterans will have been served since the group’s inaugural trip in May 2009.

Captain (Retired) Jerry Yellin is an Army Air Corps veteran who served in WWII between 1941 and 1945 as a fighter pilot in the Pacific with the 78th Fighter Squadron. He participated in both the first land based fighter mission over Japan on April 7, 1945 and also flew the final combat mission of WWII on August 14, 1945, the day the war ended.

Known for his work in helping veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Jerry is the award-winning author of four books, including Of War and Weddings, The Blackened Canteen, The Resilient Warrior and The Letter. This 91 year old Veteran travels the world sharing his story and recently received the Spirit of ’45 award from the Air Force Association.

Veterans and volunteer guardians will gather at the 122nd Air National Guard Fighter Wing by 6:00 a.m. on Oct. 7 with take-off projected to be at 8:30 a.m. Returning home, the community is encouraged to patriotically welcome the veterans in the Main Terminal of the Fort Wayne International Airport that evening. Return time is tentative, but expected to be at approximately 9:00 p.m. More information regarding the public’s participation and return timing will be shared on the group’s Facebook page at HFNEI.

95% of all donations go directly towards the veterans’ trips. Honor Flight NE Indiana, Inc. is a volunteer, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. It is Honor Flight Northeast Indiana’s mission to act quickly to serve those who would still like to have the opportunity to see their memorial that was built in their honor before it is too late.

If media are interested in joining us at the 122 FW on October 7, please RSVP with MSgt Darin Hubble, 122nd FW Public Affairs Superintendent at darin.hubble, or 260-478-3314.

Names and driver’s license numbers will be needed for security purposes.

*Honor Flight Northeast Indiana Inc. is not endorsed or funded by the Indiana Air National Guard.